Every school and community is unique and may or may not already have a transition strategy. Regardless of where your school or community is at with developing and implementing transition strategies, guidelines and resources are available to help strengthen transition practices.
Forming part of the statewide approach to successful transitions to school, the Supporting successful transition: School decision-making tool (PDF, 1.2MB) is a framework for reflection and action. It is designed to assist schools in strengthening their approach to transition and their selection of transition-to-school strategies.
The
supporting successful transitions inquiry guide will assist schools to use the decision-making tool to identify, plan and implement transition strategies and practices that meet the unique needs of their community.
The process for strengthening transition practices
Using the Supporting successful transitions – school decision-making tool and the supporting successful transitions inquiry guide, schools can follow a 4-step process to reflect, plan, act on and review their transition practice:
Step 1: Assess current transition practice
In this step of the supporting successful transitions inquiry guide schools reflect on their current practices, and approaches to strengthening transitions.
School reflections can be shared and collaboration can begin with transition partners, including early childhood services and families, to determine what is working well for children, areas for priority action and longer-term aspirational goals.
Step 2: Plan collaboratively to assess strategies based on data
Community data gives an overview of the strengths and needs of children in the area. Using available data, schools can collaborate with early childhood services, community agencies and stakeholders to identify specific priority actions for the school cohort.
The assembled evidence informs discussion between schools and transition partners to establish a shared view of children's strengths and needs, and identify opportunities and barriers to effective transitions.
Step 3: Develop and implement a transition plan
Schools determine the most effective way to implement identified strategies, including refocusing procedures and practice, communicating change, and reviewing approaches to monitoring outcomes.
Publishing information about transition-to-school practices on the school website will inform families and community partners.
Step 4: Measure the effectiveness of your transition plan
By embedding the transition actions into school planning documents, schools accept accountability for delivering on identified strategies and the achievement of outcomes.
Schools may choose to report to the school community on the success of their transition strategies through ongoing monitoring and analysis of data. Schools can share transition strategies with their networks or partnership groups in the local area.
Related information
Transition to school resources
Access resources, activities, posters, and brochures designed to support successful transitions to school.